Postpartum is ruining my body

I feel you 😢 I did my back in not long after my baby was born and it’s not been the same since, and my knees are about 2 flights of stairs away from collapsing 😫 I look 10 years older and am the biggest I’ve ever been. I need a whole new body 😭

@Molly I see mums thriving with their little children and I’m just thinking “HOW?” And I know things are about to get even harder when I return to work in September 😫xx

I feel the same way! I look old and puffy, I’m starting to get grey hairs….and that’s with a baby who sleeps well at the moment 🙈 xx

It has been tough on my body too. I've also hurt me knee I made the decision to start seeing a personal trainer because of the amount of back pain I was having. It's been a few weeks and it's been so helpful.

I feel exactly the same. Absolutely no energy to do anything about it whatsoever. I’m getting bigger all the time bc I’ve no energy to eat properly. I’ve got no clothes that fit bc I’ve got no energy to sit and order any and I don’t want to take my baby with me. My face is really wrinkly bc I’ve got no energy for skincare. My hair is barely ever washed. I’m always hairy bc I don’t have any energy to shave and we’re not having sex anyway. My pelvic floor is awful bc I’ve got no energy to even do pelvic floor exercises. I look and feel the worst I have ever in my life. Sometimes I don’t want to take baby for a walk bc I feel ugly. All of that on top of the fact that I put my baby first, spend every moment I have thinking about things for him, buying him things. Then it’s the housework. Then it’s trying to work on my relationship. So when you’re supposed to fit time in for you I have no idea. Praying that I can manage to work on myself once I’m back at work. But then I’ll have work 🫠

I feel the exact same and last week I was very emotional with the phrase ‘my body is failing me’ it’s so hard

@Sarah seriously thinking of Botox to hide the new wrinkles

Yep. My left hip is absolutely wrecked after the sidesleeping and both my knees are dodgy. More grey hair and as for my boobs...gravity is winning. Trying not to let it get me down - I have the child I waited so long for, a supportive partner and to be honest, at almost 40 I suspect some of this was going to happen anyway 😬

Glad there are some other people in the same boat! I swear every mum I ses looks slim, well put together with perfect hair and makeup, whereas I'm... very much not that! Even when I have the time to exercise, and that's not often, I'm just too tired! I'm back at work too and that doesn't help!

@Karita id recommend to anyone!! xxx

Yep! Still up in the night here too so drained seems like my default setting. When you’re not getting sleep the only thing you want to do in any free time you get is sit down! Also feels like my knees are made of glass and pregnancy has ruined my back even if I did want to get up and move. I’ve also meltdown booked a Botox consultation, I know it’s only external but I’m sick of my make up seeping into my wrinkles and making me feel worse (the rare times I do wear any). It’s hard!

@Angharad I have a friend who is slimmer than before pregnancy 🙃

@Leanne it’s weird, even on a rare occasion when he sleeps through I’m still awake at the usual wake-up hours 🙃 Botox is tricky, I don’t want to look plastic just a bit less tired 😂

@Karita that's so unfair, how?!

I completely get this; it's shit! Same for still breastfeeding- lack of sleep and hormones seem to make it hard for me to drop weight. I felt my skin was dull, grey etc. About 8 weeks ago I started strength training. I think I lost a lot of muscle mass through pregnancy and breastfeeding and became very weak. Then I pulled my back and couldn't lift anything, let alone baby. But strength training has saved me. I read a quote from a breastfeeding mother somewhere that said, "Focus on what you're lifting, not what you're losing" and that has been my mantra. I just have 2kg,3kg & 5kg dumbells at home and have slowly but surely made myself strong again. I figure the weight will drop when I've completely stopped breastfeeding but in the meantime, building muscle is the way to go. No more back pain and strong body, strong mind. 👍 I do x3 workouts a week which are like 20 minutes, that's it.

@Charlotte ahh good point! Higher muscle mass also increases the metabolic rate. What exercises do you do?

I feel the same! The whole ‘breastfeeding makes you lose weight’ thing is a lie 😂 I get jealous seeing mums who look so slim with young babies, I’m so out of shape The night wake ups and exhaustion just make me comfort eat….. mat leave has been all about cake and coffees shops as a ‘treat’ for myself for the sleep deprivation Makes me worry about my body for subsequent pregnancies :(

@karita I now follow Madfit on YouTube and do her dumbell videos. Initially I started off with doing simple floor exercises because my core was so weak (Googled diastasis recti and did recommended exercises for that) like bird dog, cat-cow, dead bug, breath work. Also make sure you're eating enough protein! Baby gets all our nutrients circulating in our blood and then we get leftovers, I think as mothers we really need to prioritise our nutrition more but I know it's hard.